1. Technical Field
The invention relates to drive chain and component cleaning and maintenance. More specifically, the invention relates to an adjustable cleaner brush for simultaneously cleaning at least three sides of a sprocket or drive chain, and for cleaning components on bicycles, motorcycles or similar vehicles that are generally inaccessible.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The drive or sprocket chains used to transfer power from a motorcycle engine to the drive wheel are generally at least partially open to the surrounding environment. As a result, the chain accumulates dirt and hard grit which settle upon the chain itself, as well as in the lubrication oil with which the chain is coated. Such grit and dirt serves as a wear or grinding medium acting upon the chain during use, thereby reducing chain performance and durability.
A motorcycle drive chain is ideally relubricated after, or before, every significant use to avoid undesirable wearing. Prior to lubrication, the chain is thoroughly cleaned to remove dirt, grit, grime, and grunge, which have adhered to the chain and lubricant. If such accumulated contaminants are not removed, relubrication merely mixed the dirt and grit particles with new lubricant. The resulting grinding mixture may result in detrimental wear and cause chain failure. Such wearing of the chain also decreases the precision of its meshing with the drive mechanism so that a less precise drive is obtained.
In the prior art, an ordinary tooth brush or wire brush is typically used to clean the chain. The tooth brush or wire brush is vigorously applied in sequence to all sides of the chain. This process removes not only the accumulated dirt and grit, but also the principal portion of the prior lubrication. The chain may then be relubricated with a fresh lubricant such as oil or grease. Alternately, the chain may be passed through a solvent solution to dissolve additional old lubricant from the chain prior to relubricating.
The chain may also be dipped or otherwise cleaned initially with solvent and then brushed. However, this procedure is both messy and expensive, as large quantities of solvent are contaminated with the contaminated lubricant. In addition, the solvent may attract and dissipate lubricating grease incorporated inside the drive chain rollers by the chain manufacturer. This is especially prevalent for sprocket chains that have rubber sealing rings at the chain roller ends to ensure retention of lubricant in the rollers. In such cases, the solvent may not only remove the encapsulated lubricant, but may also promote deterioration of the rubber or polymer sealing rings.
Despite these disadvantages, there is a tendency among maintenance workers to use only solvent prior to relubrication, to save time. This results in damage to the chains. Manually brushing away accumulated contaminants from the chain surface using the prior art tooth brush or wire brush methods is time-consuming, tedious, and not completely effective. In fact, such manual brushing considerably adds to the expense of operation and maintenance of a motorcycle, bicycle, or similar vehicle.
Various devices for cleaning bicycle chains have been proposed in the prior art. Three examples of such cleaning devices are disclosed in Grupelli, Bicycle Chain Cleaner, U.S. Pat. No. 575,520 (Jan. 19, 1897), Hudelson, Brush for Bicycle Chains, U.S. Pat. No. 625,778 (Oct. 31, 1899), Gibford, Cleaner for Bicycle Chains, U.S. Pat. No. 628,087 (Jul. 4, 1899). In all three devices, brush type cleaners are mounted directly to a bicycle such that the bicycle chain passes over the brush cleaners during bicycle operation. The devices are complicated to produce, adjust, and use and do not thoroughly clean the chain. Furthermore, such devices may not be adaptable to the increased friction generated by the higher velocities of motorcycles.
Mechanical cleaning means have also been proposed for cleaning chains. Examples of such devices are disclosed in Chiarella, Bicycle Chain Cleaning Device and Method, U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,120 (Mar. 25, 1986) and Thalmann, Bicycle sprocket Chain Cleaner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,923. Each of these devices provides a reservoir for containing a quantity of solvent or lubricant. The devices may be placed around the chain while it remains on the bicycle. Rotatable sprocket brushes having spaced-apart bristle tufts on their periphery are mounted within a cover. Movement of the chain through the device causes the chain to dip into the solvent or lubricant.
While the Chiarella and Thalmann devices are useful in extending the life of a bicycle chain, they are too small to be used with a motorcycle chain. Furthermore, the higher speeds of the motorcycle chain passing through the devices may result in inadequate contact with, or excessive consumption of, the solvent or lubricant. In addition, it is unsafe to use such devices while operating a motorcycle at high speeds. Contaminants are mixed back into the reservoir, resulting in undesirable contamination of the solvent or lubricant. Additionally, Chiarella and Thalmann do not thoroughly clean the chain. The brushes themselves are subject to extreme wear. However, neither Chiarella nor Thalmann permits the brushes to be replaced when no longer functioning. The entire device must therefore be replaced, thereby increasing the costs to the user.
Engstrom proposed a bicycle cleaning tool, Bicycle Tool, U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,266 (Aug. 22, 1989). This hand-held device is used in a similar manner as the toothbrush. Only one brush element is provided.
In Wilkins, Brush Cleaner for Sprocket Chains, U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,569 (Dec. 10, 1991), an adjustable motorcycle cleaning brush has been disclosed. This device is adjusted in the maker of a pipe wrench, by manually rotating a roller to move one wall of the cleaning channel. It is difficult and costly to fabricate such device. The wire bristles used with this prior art brush cleaner may damage sprocket chains using polymer sealing rings. Furthermore, it is only possible to adjust one dimension of the cleaning channel. Thus, the brush cannot be adjusted to securely fit and clean chains having different widths as well as heights.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a cleaner brush that can effectively clean dirt and grit from a drive or sprocket chain, without causing further contamination to the lubricating solution. It would be a further advantage if such cleaner brush were adjustable to accommodate different sized chains. It would be yet another advantage if the cleaner brushes were readily replaced when worn, or if a different type of cleaner were desired.
The invention provides an adjustable brush for cleaning drive or sprocket chains, and components on motorcycles, bicycles, or similar vehicles. A C-shaped toolhead retaining three brush block elements is fixed to a handle with a fixed opposing cleaning element retaining one brush block. The toolhead end of the handle is generally used to clean the chain. The opposing cleaning element end of the handle is generally used to clean other areas that are generally inaccessible.
The handle""s length keeps users"" hands away from the chain during chain cleaning, and provides a means for the opposing cleaning element to clean generally inaccessible areas. The chain passage recess defined by the toolhead has at least two opposing inner sides, with a non-opposing inner side in-between. Each inner side has parallel first and second retaining members projecting therefrom and into the recess. The retaining members have parallel and opposing first and second ridges depending therefrom, to define a brush block cavity. Likewise, the opposing cleaning element has parallel first and second retaining members projecting from the handle with parallel and opposing first and second ridges depending therefrom, to define a brush block cavity.
A brush block element, having a base with a cleaning member formed on the side thereof, is dimensioned for removable insertion with each brush block cavity. The brush block element preferably has at least two parallel grooves adapted to receive the parallel ridges depending from the retaining members projecting from inside the toolhead of the handle. In a first position, the brush block element is entirely retained within the brush block cavity. In a second position, the grooves on the sides of the brush block elements are engaged with the ridges of the retaining members such that a part of the brush block projects from the brush block cavity and into the chain passage recess. The bristles of the brush block elements associated with the respective inner sides of the toolhead are thereby brought closer together. The dimensions of the chain passage recess are thus adjusted to conform to the size of the drive or sprocket chain to be cleaned.
Brush block elements may be provided with different bristle sizes and configurations, according to the particular requirements of the user. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning member of the brush block elements in the toolhead is a plurality of short, stiff, nylon or polypropylene bristles. The cleaning member of the brush block element in the opposing cleaning element, is a plurality of long, stiff, nylon or polypropylene bristles.